![\"Dave](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Dave-Lewis-Joe-GiddensPA-Wire.jpg\")
\t\t“Drastic” Dave Lewis has launched a turnaround of Diageo (Joe Giddens\/PA Wire)\t<\/p>\n\t\t\tTuesday 18 August 2026 4:03 pm\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t“Drastic” Dave Lewis has launched a turnaround of Diageo (Joe Giddens\/PA Wire)\t<\/p>\n
Sir Dave Lewis, who is overseeing sweeping job cuts at drinks giant Diageo, could take home as much as \u00a320m in pay next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The chief executive of the Guinness and Smirnoff maker could make as much as \u00a320m in the year to June 2027, though he is more likely to make about \u00a39m, according to the firm\u2019s remuneration report.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This would still nearly triple the final pay packet of his predecessor, Debra Crew, who departed the FTSE 100 firm with immediate effect in July last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sir Dave\u2019s is poised to take home a bumper pay packet while preparing to slash jobs across the drinks company.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The executive, dubbed \u201cdrastic\u201d Dave for his reputation for dramatic turnarounds, has reportedly told<\/a> some of his teams to cut up to 30 per cent of their headcount.<\/p>\n Lewis could take home \u00a320.02m next year if he meets performance targets and sees Diageo increase its share price by 50 per cent.\u00a0<\/p>\n Without the share price bonus, Lewis could be paid \u00a315m if he takes home all available bonuses, though the group\u2019s remuneration report said his \u201ctarget salary\u201d is \u00a39.4m.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is still more than double the \u00a33.6m Crew was paid in her last full year in charge. Nick Jhangiani, who served as interim chief executive before returning to his role as finance chief, could take home as much as \u00a310.6m next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lewis\u2019 bumper bonus deal relates to a new long-term incentive scheme being proposed by Diageo, which will be put to shareholders in November.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n \t\t\tWill Drastic Dave live up to his name at Diageo?<\/a><\/p>\n The incentive plan covers the three years from June 2026 and could allow Lewis to claim as much as \u00a315m in September 2029.<\/p>\n Diageo consulted about 40 per cent of its shareholders before proposing this new pay model, it is understood.<\/p>\n Lewis, who took charge of Diageo in January, was paid \u00a31.4m for the year to the end of June.<\/p>\n Diageo sheds jobs<\/p>\n The drinks giant slashed nearly 2,000 jobs in the year to June as Lewis battled to reverse the firm\u2019s fortunes, its annual report suggested.\u00a0<\/p>\n Total headcount at the group fell six per cent to 27,938. The majority of these cuts came in Africa, which lost 928 jobs, while 405 corporate roles were slashed across the business.<\/p>\n